Project Accountant

Department: Finance

Employment Type: Permanent - Full Time

Location: Douet House

Reporting To: Head of Finance

Description

Key Responsibilities

• Maintain financial control across capital programmes, including budgets, forecasts, actuals and change control;
• Ensure accurate project cost recording, coding, and capitalisation;
• Create and maintain financial models, including cashflow and lifecycle cost analysis;
• Lead project cost control activities, monitoring spend and identifying risks and opportunities;
• Provide financial evidence for internal and audit requirements; 
• Work with procurement and cost and commercial stakeholders where needed to support long term cost capture and industry variables; 
• Act as key conduit between finance, business planning and deliver, project management office and capital delivery function; 
• Providing support to Project managers for effective financial control, governance and reporting. 

• Develop and maintain integrated cost and cashflow forecasts for capital programmes;
• Produce monthly, and adhoc when required, programme financial reporting, with variance and key movement analysis and identification of delivery risks through cash flow/ budget constraints;
• Ensure the project and governance reporting is available to inform operating reports, leadership updates and project review discussions; 
• Provide constructive financial challenge and forward-looking financial insight, highlighting emerging risks, cost pressures, and opportunities, to support programme and business decision-making;
• Support scenario and options analysis where scope and delivery plans and assumptions change;
• Prepare information to support internal and external audit requests;
• Define and track realisation of financial benefits;
• Support the development and maintenance of business cases, investment appraisals and funding submissions;
• Translate financial information into clear implications for delivery, risk and outcomes;
• Contribute to programme, steering, and board reporting.

Skills, Knowledge and Expertise

• Part-qualified or qualified accountant (e.g., ACA/ACCA/CIMA) or equivalent experience in a relevant finance role;
• 2-5 years’ experience of project accounting within large scale capital programmes;
• Strong financial planning, forecasting and reporting skills with the ability to interpret financial data, identify trends and provide clear narrative and insight;
• Good working knowledge of financial controls, governance and audit requirements;
• Ability to manage time sensitive reporting dependencies;
• Advanced Excel skill and experience working with financial systems/ERP (experience of project cost modules desirable);
• Ability to communicate effectively with non-finance colleagues, providing constructive challenge where necessary; 
• Strong organisational skills with the ability to manage competing priorities and meet deadlines;
• Experience with business cases, investment appraisal and lifecycle costing desirable;
• High levels of accuracy and attention to detail, with a professional and confidential approach.

• Experience within an infrastructure delivery setting;
• Understanding of capital accounting, fixed assets and construction in progress/WIP reporting;
• Experience improving finance processes, controls and reporting (including use of AI tools);

Benefits

• Pension – Membership of the defined contribution scheme.  Jersey Water pays 5% up to 5 years’ service and then 10%, employees pay 5%.  A matching scheme is available whereby Jersey Water matches additional voluntary contributions up to a maximum of 5%.
• Death in Service – 4 times salary
• Private health scheme – Non contributory